Phoenixville teachers, district still apart in negotiations

PHOENIXVILLE — As they close in on the third anniversary of negotiations for a new contract district teachers, the Phoenixville Area School Board released more details in negotiations that revealed the two sides remain significantly apart on some key issues.

Since a fact-finder from the Pennsylvania State Labor Relations Board released her recommendations on the negotiations between the Phoenixville Area School District and the Phoenixville Area Education Association, the two sides have met several times to negotiate.

Both sides rejected the recommendations at their first vote, but the school board voted to accept the recommendations in a required second vote Nov. 12. The education association voted against them again.

“On Nov. 14, 2012, the (Phoenixville Area Education Association) presented a proposal to the district which, in the district’s opinion, was less favorable than the terms of the Fact Finder’s Report and Recommendations, which the board had previously voted to accept,” Paul Slaninka, board member, read from a statement in Monday night’s school board meeting.

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Slaninka said both parties met Nov. 28 for 2˝ hours and were also joined by William Gross, the director of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation and William Cramer, the state mediator working through the “collective bargaining process.”

“At Wednesday evening’s session, the district presented a counter proposal to the (Phoenixville Area Education Association’s) Nov. 14 proposal,” Slaninka said. “In the district’s opinion, this counter proposal represented significant movement on the part of the district, further reinforcing the board’s desire to reach a settlement with (Phoenixville Area Education Association.”

Slaninka said a response was not yet received from the education association regarding the latest district proposal.

The district’s position from what it proposed at the fact finding process changed in several areas, according to the statement read by Slaninka.

The bonus proposed to each member of the education association “increased from $2,000 to $3,000”, representing a $1,700 bonus for 2011-12 and $1,300 for 2012-13.

According to the school district, the education association had only asked for a $2,000 total bonus, $1,200 for 2011-12 and $800 for 2012-13.

The salary increase for all education association members was also increased from the district’s fact finding submission of 0.6 percent to 1 percent for the 2013-14 year.

Also, the one half-step increase in salary in January 2014 that the district originally submitted was “moved up to August 2013, providing an extra half year of pay at the higher rate.”

The education association proposed half-steps in January 2013, August 2013, January 2014 and August 2014 at Nov. 14’s negotiations. Because of the half step increases the district proposed throughout the years, the increase in salary would actually be more like a 0.8 percent increase in both 2013-14 and 2014-15, according to the fact finder’s report.

The district hadn’t proposed anything concerning a fifth year on the contract, which would concern the August 2014 pay increase.

Regarding health care, neither side appeared to budge from their submission to the fact finder back in October.

With the bargaining unit’s members paying $45 a month for health care currently, the school district proposed that they pay 7 percent of the total premium for 2012-13 and 8 percent in 2013-14 with a $1,000 deductible in the first year and $1,500 in the second year.

In that proposal, the district said it would provide a $750 contribution to a flexible spending account in both years.

The education association proposed paying no deductibles either year but paying 5 percent of the premium in 2012-13 and 6 percent in 2013-14.

Spouses of education association members being covered by the district health care plan also remained a sticking point.

“The board does not feel that the taxpayers of the Phoenixville Area School District should have to pay the medical insurance costs for employees of other organizations,” Slaninka read from the statement.

Spouses would be required to take their employer’s health care program in 2013-14, according to the school district’s proposal. The education association proposed no change, which would mean no removal of employed spouses.

In that matter, the fact finder recommended that there be no mandate for a spouse to withdraw, but that the spouse might be covered as a secondary beneficiary “where coordination of benefits applies.”

The full details of negotiations can be viewed at the Phoenixville Area School District’s website under the “Negotiations” link.

“We will continue to keep you apprised of all developments in this matter as they happen and will continue to work hard to achieve a fair settlement,” Slaninka read, concluding the statement.